lol.. I feel like a teenager that I never got to be....a pimply face grown woman with red marks and bumps everywhere...never did I imagine...I am using cerave pm moisturizing lotion...so I should get the cerave cream instead? also what makeup are u using to cover this stuff up...I am thinking of buying skin79 bb cream ...im not a big fan of makeup too much but I think I will have to use it since I am going to have a lot of hyperpigmentation after all this and maybe a few shallow scars...sigh

lol.. I feel like a teenager that I never got to be....a pimply face grown woman with red marks and bumps everywhere...never did I imagine...I am using cerave pm moisturizing lotion...so I should get the cerave cream instead? also what makeup are u using to cover this stuff up...I am thinking of buying skin79 bb cream ...im not a big fan of makeup too much but I think I will have to use it since I am going to have a lot of hyperpigmentation after all this and maybe a few shallow scars...sigh

The CeraVe cream is really thick and works super well! http://www.walmart.com/ip/CeraVe-Moisturizing-Cream-16-oz/13903362 The tub is HUGE! It can be used all over the body.

If you want to cover the spots completely I would use Dermablend Smooth Indulgence Foundation. It's insanely pigmented and covers realllly well. That's what I'm wearing in my profile pic and you can't see the spots. I'm about to post update pics so you can see how bad my skin is. Tarte Colored Clay Foundcealer also has great coverage. Skin79 Vital Orange is a good BB cream. If you have an Ulta or Sephora nearby maybe someone can help you find something you'll be comfortable wearing.

I know exactly how you feel about having acne now! Why!!!!

I'm soooo broken out. I'm 2 days shy of 6 weeks but its close enough!

I think you should be ok...I know it sucks....my face is actually worse then that...within two months I got a massive breakout that just spread and spread..each bump left red marks all over my face...the Accutane is killing it now though..i did have an ib but I think whatever it was is starting to die off..now I will just have to deal with the hyperpigmentation. I know it sucks to be on 6 weeks and still breaking out.. but hopefully by the middle of the 3rd month it will be clearing up and it doesn't look like it will scar at all.

One huge benefit of the Tane is how fast the spots disappear! Mt. Vesuvius that was erupting on my chin is almost flat now and it's only been a couple of days. That's definitely one that would be around months normally!

Six weeks in and I'm still breaking out like crazy. It's that time of the month so my hormonal acne is in full force. My jawline is riddled with painful spots. Yuck.

It's the means to an end...

Six weeks in and I'm still breaking out like crazy. It's that time of the month so my hormonal acne is in full force. My jawline is riddled with painful spots. Yuck.

It's the means to an end...

Ugh. Period breakouts. The WORST!

Thinking of you. As you're about to enter month 2, I'm sure you'll start seeing a change soon. Does your doc still have you at 40mg?

Six weeks in and I'm still breaking out like crazy. It's that time of the month so my hormonal acne is in full force. My jawline is riddled with painful spots. Yuck.

It's the means to an end...

Keep your head up! The funny thing with accutane is that things can go from bad to worst in an instant and then suddenly you notice that things are finally changing for the better. It's a rough rough road but we're here for you.

Aww it gets better!

I don't think your breakouts are anything out of the extraordinary if you put on some makeup and even without them you just look like you have one of those hormonal days. Big deal

From now on everything should be going downhill!

The good news is that most go away as fast as they show up. The painful ones just suck. I can cover them up but they still hurt. I had a new one pop up today on my cheekbone. They are harder to cover because that part of the face stands out anyway. The jaw ones are so much easier.

Today is Day 45 at 40 mg.

Thanks for the words of encouragement!

Today is day 50!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A small milestone in my mind. I'm still broken out. Only one of them is painful so that's good. It's much better than 10 spots that hurt! I have a dozen tiny little spots on my forehead.

No dryness, no mood changes, no night vision changes, slight eye dryness at night, but not much worse than usual. A little joint soreness in my shoulders and ankles. All in all it's going really well! I have around 100 more days and I'm ready to see some clear skin!

I know we are supposed to take the pill with a fatty meal, but does anyone know how fatty? I've been taking it with a handful of almonds and I'm wondering if it's enough.

i think someone said 20 g of fat. I found that a fatty meal worked best

I'd think the pill gets absorbed much faster than the almonds, so what I will do is take it with oil capsules (flax seed, fish oil, evening primrose, etc.) if my meal is not fatty enough (olive oil, full fat milk/yogurt/sour cream/cheese, fish, avocados... I ran out of ideas).

I think it's ironic that the pills need to be taken with a fatty meal, but fatty meals make the cholesterol spike, a no-no on Accutane

At any rate, I take mine in the morning with either a tablespoon of peanut butter or half an avocado. The peanut butter usually on toast, or off the spoon if I'm eating oatmal or cereal instead. The avocado as part of an omelet.

I have a HUGE win to report. I noticed today that any acne I had on my back is gone! It was never really bad but I always had about 6 spots on my shoulders where my hair hits. My shoulders were itchy today and I reached back and realized that the skin is totally smooth!!!!! It's amazing!

Today is day 51!

Congrats on day 51-plus!

That's great news about your back. You knowand I just now thought of itwhen I started breaking out on my face again several years ago, so did my back. Nothing cystic or anything even really noticeable, just small persistent pimples that I could always "feel" and sometimes see. But now all I feel is smooth skin. Must have cleared up sometime in the last several weeks, I didn't even notice.

So this is most likely a good sign that better things will be happening on your face very soon. Woot!

Update pics. Day 53. My face is probably at its worse. I lanced a few spots. Hopefully I didn't do too much damage! My back is still clear and smooth!!!

You lanced...ommmm you're not supposed to do that! LOL just kidding I could never leave mine alone either!

I just can't see a whitehead sit there! It's probably the worst thing about accutane!!! The pressure to not pick is horrible!

I went to the dr today. I'm starting my third month. She said I'm still having a lot of inflammatory breakouts and hopes to see better progress next month. As long as my bloodwork is good we are going to bump up to 60 mg. I have to go back tomorrow for my bloodwork because I was 1 day early and stupid iPledge won't let me do it early.

Rachel, i'm sorry that things aren't moving along faster. Your situation is not unique. Maybe a higher dose will help speed things along.

Chin up love

It's a new month so obviously a new drama. My dr wanted to put me on 30 mg twice a day. Apparently my insurance only pays for 10, 20 or 40 mg, not the 30 mg. That means my prescription would be $832 instead of $10. Well that's not happening so the dr is going to keep me at 40 mg. I wish she would bump me to 80 since I'm not having any symptoms but that's not an option apparently. I have never seen a legal drug with SO MUCH DRAMA to get it!!!! I swear this is by far the worst part of treatment. Dealing with insurance will be the death of me.

I finally got my pills but I had to go back down to 40 mg since the insurance doesn't cover 30 mg. I hoped she would bump me up to 80 but not a chance. So I officially started MONTH 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my Gosh, Rachel, I feel so angry that the insurance company doesn't cover the 30mg but covers a 20 and a 40. It doesn't make any sense.... Shouldn't the mg be determined by the doctor according to your medical needs which are also based on your response to the drug and weight? I hope I don't have the same issues, I kind of want to check with my insurance ASAP. If I wasn't on this website I would have never known all the difficulties of obtaining accutane.

Remember that a lower dose in the long term will cure it just as well, Ok? I know it's hard to deal with this now, but you have to find a way to get trough the day and be cheerful.

We just start to expect so much from this medicine, we get our hopes up, expecting a clear smooth progression line up, but the reality is that line fluctuates.

I remember how you had only a few spots, but when u get a couple of new ones that means that the medicine is working, so pretty soon it will be over. It may be tomorrow !

Congrats on your back! That was the first thing to clear up for me as well I reached back one day, and was like "WOAH, CLEAR SKIN!"

Couldn't you just take a 20 and a 40?

Congrats on your back! That was the first thing to clear up for me as well I reached back one day, and was like "WOAH, CLEAR SKIN!"

Couldn't you just take a 20 and a 40?

Apparently that isn't an option. I asked and was shot down immediately. I plan to get an in depth answer at next month's visit.